Throughout Paul McCartney’s illustrious career as a member of both the Beatles and Wings, as well as his solo career, he has released over a dozen live albums and concert films. Clearly, the man has had many memorable live performances. These videos span over five decades and feature obscure rarities as well as some of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest hits. As he celebrates his 72nd birthday with a break from his current touring schedule, it is a great time to take a look back at his greatest live recordings.

by PopMatters Staff

SPONSORED POST—Calling all music fans, August 1st brings the release of the eagerly awaited new biopic about James Brown, Get on Up. With a stellar cast—Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson, and Octavia Spencer—Get on Up is directed by The Help‘s Tate Taylor and looks to be a major crowd-pleaser. This is also the perfect time to reflect on Brown’s staggering importance within music and our cultural landscape. Join in with Pharrell and Questlove in celebrating your thoughts about the Godfather of Soul’s lasting legacy using #SayItLoud on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and more. We are celebrating with you in offering up five of Brown’s most important career highlights.

Pixies’ Doolittle turned 25 this past week, not that it much matters—I wasn’t around in 1989 to hear it. When I did, in seventh or eighth grade, it was in full view of Nirvana and Radiohead and all the others Doolittle had inspired, but it still seemed unlike anything that had come after it. It’s tough to think of another record that shaped my taste more up to that point.

Paul McCartney turns 71 years old this week, with 47 albums to his credit. (You could also add his 12 albums with the Beatles to that list.) So looking at his work with Wings, as a solo artist, and part of the electronic duo “The Fireman”, let’s narrow it down to his eleven most essential albums. (Why 11? Because Flowers in the Dirt is so underrated.) Consider number one the starting place for a casual fan just looking for the hits, and the remaining numbers as a guide to becoming a well-rounded, obsessed Macca fan.